


The Path to Krishna

by Pratigyakrishnaki



Category: Mahabharata - Vyasa, महाभारत | Mahabharat (TV 2013)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-04
Updated: 2016-03-04
Packaged: 2018-05-24 17:57:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6161761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pratigyakrishnaki/pseuds/Pratigyakrishnaki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s the story of Rukmini and Krishna, from the Mahabharat, with a little twist on it! I hope you enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Path to Krishna

She stepped out of the  _mandir_  straining to see into the light of the rising sun. She saw a speck on the edge of the horizon getting bigger and bigger. As she looked away from the horizon, Rukmini set her gaze on the throng of people, bustling to get a glimpse underneath her  _ghoonghat_. Only her eyes picked out the soldiers mixed into the crowd, some from her brother’s army, some from Jarasandh’s army. Looking into the crowd, fear and worry bloomed in her heart like two ugly flowers. She worried Krishna wouldn’t come to get her, she feared he would get hurt. Suddenly her ears strained, hearing a faint gallop getting louder and louder. She turned to see him, Krishna in all his glory. His dark form, clad in bright yellow. His chest, decorated with the  _kaustubha_  gem. His eyes, wide and lotus-like. His crown, adorned with a peacock feather flickering in the wind. She drank in the sight of him, her savior. As swiftly as he came, he jumped off his chariot, ran up the stairs of the temple, took her hand and ran back before anyone could even react. As the soldiers in the crowd jumped forward, the chariot sped off into the other direction.  
—–  
Krishna was in a glorious haze. He had saved Rukmini and was speeding towards the dense forest, towards Dwarka.  
“Faster Daruk!” He urged.  
“Krishna!” Rukmini cried behind him, and as he turned he saw the armies thundering behind him, led by Jarasandh and Shishupal.  
Krishna looked into his enemies’ eyes and began calculating his attack strategy, when from within the army he heard a loud, “STOP!”  
Rukmini gasped, “Rukmi!”  
Time stood at a standstill while Krishna briskly pulled Rukmini behind him, readying his bow and arrow.  
From behind him he began hearing more hooves thundering into the ground, and the sound of chariots being pulled. Balaram had arrived.  
“Chote! Take her and go, I’ll deal with them!”  
Krishna rolled his eyes, annoyed at the silly nickname, but pulled his charioteer out of a reverie and directed him to move. Within an instant, movement erupted.  
Krishna pulled away, and the Narayani  _Sena_  of Dwarka clashed swords with the armies of Magadh, Chedi and Vidarbh. Jarasandh quickly took up arms against Balaram and Shishupal fought against Satyaki.  
Krishna without glancing back raced back towards Dwarka, trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and the fight.  
Rukmi, ignoring the surrounding battle, sped after Krishna, hoping to retrieve his sister Rukmini.  
Krishna urged his horses on, when once again he was alerted by Rukmini.  
“Krishna, my brother is still following us!”  
Krishna just continued on, hustling towards an open plain. Upon reaching, he placed a hand on Daruka, who sharply turned the chariot, effectively cutting off Rukmi. Krishna picked up his bow and arrows, and waited patiently, like a lion about to pounce on prey. Rukmi halted his chariot, and the attack began. Back and forth, arrows flew, and Rukmini watched behind her  _ghoonghat_ , eyes wide. Before long, Krishna had exhausted all of Rukmi’s weapons. Rukmi jumped off his chariot, and Krishna lifted his finger. A flash of light appeared to circle his finger, and Rukmini realized that Krishna was going to kill her brother with his famed  _Sudarshan Chakra_.  
“My Lord!” She cried, her voice laced with fear.  
Krishna turned his head back, surprised at the interjection.  
“My Lord, please spare him. Be merciful! He is my brother. Please. You are almighty and benevolent. Please show mercy on him.” Rukmini shook with fear, her voice choked up with emotion and her eyes struggled to hold back tears.  
Krishna looked upon her in love and pity.  
“My dear, I will not hurt your brother. I will set him free, but I must teach him a lesson. Your will belongs to you. You should be allowed to choose whom you wish to marry. To set an example, I have to do something.”  
“My lord, may I suggest, shaving off half his head? In that way, he will be shamed, and will be taught a lesson, in a big way.”  
With inhuman swiftness, Krishna caught Rukmi, tied him up and pushed him to his knees. Using a gold dagger, and Rukmini looking on, he sheared off half of Rukmi’s head. Leaving him be, Krishna mounted his chariot, and again continued his journey to Dwarka.  
—–  
Upon reaching Dwarka, Krishna sent Rukmini to Subhadra, and within a couple of hours, the marriage ceremony had been completed.  
Rukmini was in bliss. She was safe and happy with her beloved. Krishna however, had still not seen her face. She hoped that the surprise would give him a slight shock.  
As Krishna and Rukmini retired to their room, Krishna began to ponder. He thought back to the battle between Rukmi and himself. The way Rukmini had intervened. He could’ve sworn he had heard her voice before, but couldn’t place it. He glanced at Rukmini, shy but steady in her walk along with him. Her face was still covered with the  _ghoonghat_ , and as he observed her, he felt that she was a familiar person. Someone he had seen or met before.  
“Aryaputra?”  
She pulled him out of his thoughts.  
“Hmm?”  
“We have arrived at your room.”  
She entered his chambers, while he closed the door behind him. She walked to the middle of the room, turned and looked at him through her  _ghoonghat_. Krishna walked up to her, and studied her carefully. He slowly lifted up the  _ghoonghat_  and her eyelashes fluttered down. As she looked up into his face, she saw surprise and astonishment.  
His eyes were wide with shock and his face was full of disbelief, but somewhere in his darkly colored eyes she saw a hint of love.  
“Radha?!?”  
“Yes, Arya. It is I, though I now go by Rukmini.”  
“What– Who– I mean– How? How can it be you?” He staggered away from her.  
Radha, now Rukhmini led Krishna to the bed, sat down beside him, and began her tale.  
“Arya, after you left Vrindavan, life in the holy forest became desolate, Yashoda Maa and Nanda Baba were irresponsive for weeks. I didn’t respond to anyone for days, but then I remembered you and your love. Radha turned Rukmini looked at Krishna. He stared back, seeing her but not  _seeing_  her. She turned back to the story, knowing his curiosity was growing.  
“After you sent Uddhava to us, he, I and the  _gopi_ s helped the town flourish. After a while, I knew it was time to find you again. I left Vrindavan in the hands of Uddhava and my  _sakhi_ s, and slowly made my way towards Mathura, hoping you would be there. Once I got to the city, I was lost until people told me that you had already left the city. I left Mathura, roaming aimlessly, asking anyone and everyone about you. That’s when I came across King Bhishmaka of Vidarbh. He told me that me being alone in the woods as a lady was not safe, so he took me back to his home. His wife, my foster mother, did not have a daughter, and I became a part of their family. Rukmi, Rukmaratha, Rukmabahu, Rukmakesh, and Rukmamali.  They all adopted me and I became their sister in mind and body. Their love for me was a welcome gift, but when I heard about my betrothal to Shishupal, I just couldn’t let that happen. My father had said that I would marry you, but then Rukmi’s allies forced my life onto a different path. I ended up sending you a letter with the brahmin to save me, and the rest you know. Arya, I told you I would come back to you. It is a long story, but I have found my way back to your side. I am sorry for the secrecy, and I am sorry for not telling you before.” Rukmini cast her eyes down, saddened by the silence exuding from her husband. 

Suddenly, Krishna chuckled. Rukmini glanced up, and as saw the surprise vanishing from his face, only to be replaced with love. Pure, unadulterated love. It was a look she was familiar with. One that her heart pined to see every day in their separation. Krishna pulled her towards him and captured her lips with his own. Her heart burst with happiness. The entire world seemed to explode in color and joy, for Radha Krishna had become one again.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Some Notes/Definitions:
> 
> Aryaputra: Husband, technically son of Aryas (Putra=son)  
> Baba: Father  
> Chedi: Different kingdom (now Bundelkhand/Madhya Pradesh) in India  
> Chote (pronounced cho-tay): younger brother  
> Daruk: charioteer of Krishna  
> Dwarka: Residence of the Yadavs  
> Ghoonghat: part of veil that covers the bride's face  
> Gopi: Cowherdess  
> Kaustubha: Gem worn by Vishnu/Krishna as part of a necklace; came out of the Churning of the Ocean and is the most precious gem in the world  
> Maa: Mother  
> Magadh: Different kingdom (now part of Bihar) in India  
> Mandir: temple  
> Sena: Army; Narayani Sena is the army of the Yadavs  
> Sudarshan Chakra: Discus weapon used by Vishnu/Krishna  
> Vidarbh: Different kingdom (now part of Nagpur/Amravati) in India  
> Vrindavan: Holy forest where Krishna grew up


End file.
